I’ve been waiting for inspiration to write. Waiting and waiting. Nothing seems worthy of a blog post when your friend’s 5 year old son is in hospice loosing his battle with cancer. Then hardly anything seems worthy of your attention when you get the news that he passed away.
I’ve been drowning lately. Drowning in sadness and grief. My heart is broken.
As if to match my mood the rain has been falling for days. Last night and today it seems like the ground has finally given up. The water started to rise.
This morning we found our basement badly flooded.
My neighbor heard about our flooding and mentioned it to her landlord when he came back to check on her basement. After looking at our basement her landlord, Mr. Zimmerman, said that the freezer, water heater, and furnace could be damaged from that much water. Great.
My heart was already heavy with grief and now I’m worried about the expense of replacing these major appliances. I tried to stay focused on being thankful that all I would be loosing in the basement was stuff. Stuff can always be replaced.
But honestly… I felt broken. Sad. Fed up.
Mr. Zimmerman set up his little pump in our basement and said he had a heavy duty pump that could really take care of the job quickly. Sadly, that pump was at home and he lived pretty far away. However…
Mr. Zimmerman came back a couple hours later with his big pump. It was about 3:00 PM and I saw him take a sandwich out of his truck and carry it with him into our basement while he assessed the work of the pump.
Something about seeing him with that sandwich really touched me. He was eating on-the-go for us. He was dedicating his day to help with our basement and he just met me!
I sat in my house and sobbed.
In a time when I felt like I was drowning in my sadness and literally drowning in my basement, God sent this angel to help.
This is an ugly world, but there are still good people here.
Thank you, Mr. Zimmerman. I needed you today more than you’ll ever know.
Dear God, help me to be a “Mr. Zimmerman” to someone else in their time of need. Please stay with me during this time when I am drowning and help me to see that you are there. I need to feel you “hold me now.” Amen.
Basement Update: We lost a few minor things due to the flood. The only major item damaged was our dehumidifier. We were very lucky and again thankful that it was just THINGS.
Rebekah, I’m so sorry. Thanks for sharing how you’re feeling in this post. This has all been too much. I love ya!
Oh my goodness, friend. That’s a heavy weight on your shoulders. It’s enough to make this Kansas girl want to crawl in a hole and ignore the craziness that is the weather around the nation. 🙁
Sorry to hear you have this heavy load, but I appreciate not only your honest approach, but your ability to turn the load over to God and trust Him to take care of those heavy burdens. A friend reminded me of this scripture and it seems fitting to share it with you based on your post…
“And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” 2 Corinthians 12:9
I will keep you and your family in my thoughts & prayers!
p.s. We are probably not far from you since we are experiencing this flooding as well, but not near as bad!
(((hugs))) Praise the Lord for Mr. Zimmerman, and I will pray for you that you are able to manage the water in your basement and avoid any permanent damage!
Rebekah, I’m so sorry too! I completely understand as we had to re do our basement just last fall, because of a flood and we had just finished renovating two years previous. Thank God for those little gifts (sump pumps and people) He sends along the way to lighten the load.
~Kristin
I am sooo sorry. We had the first two floors of our house flood. I know that feeling of despair. It might be just stuff but the financial set back is difficult to reconcile. Praise God for Mr. Zimmerman. I’m praying for you.
Praying for you all during this time. Also please pass on my prayers to your friend’s family – I can’t begin to imagine what they are going through on the loss of their son. Thank you for your ministry.
Rebekah, it’s very inspiring that you are able to see the positivity around you during such a difficult time. You are amazing! 🙂 Thinking of you and your family.
Well I am going to shower you in love. Mr. Zimmerman is an angel and I hope angels keep popping into your life and into the lives of your friends. Good people, beauty, and love make life amazing… I’m glad I’ve gotten to share my journey with you.
Simply beautiful! God’s peace be with you!
I was just getting on fb to write you a msg asking if you were in the area of the flooding when your notification for this post popped up. I’m so sorry. You’ve had a couple of things hit you at once and I’m glad you saw God through Mr. Zimmerman. May God’s strength and peace be with you.
This song just came on the radio and I instantly knew I needed to send it to you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8JsRxVczmQ
God must think you’re pretty strong to allow so much at once.
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message
Things like this really are perspective makers, for sure….. Praying that you are able to find strength, customer and healing through all this……
Praying for you. It’s hard to see the end of the tunnel when the journey is so hard.
I’m thinking about you with tears in my eyes. I feel for you and your friend and your basement. The light will come back. It always does. Hang in there.
oh sweetie…hard stuff indeed. I walked with a dear friend during her son’s 1.5 year battle with cancer. He went to be with Jesus at 7. Thank you for standing with your friend. Thank you for seeing God in the midst of suffering. Thank you for seeing God in Mr. Zimmerman. And Thank You for sharing your heart. God is good, even in the darkest nights, the deepest waters. He is with you. Always.
Oh sweet Rebekah, I’m so so sorry to hear of your friend’s son & the flooding. My heart is broken for your friend dealing with what would seem like life stopped altogether. Jesus send your peace upon Rebekah & her family & her friends. You are working in the most mysterious of ways & I know you are the good, gracious Redeemer.
That is a heavy load to carry. I’m sorry so much has been happening. Praying things will improve soon. Glad you had Mr. Zimmerman to help!
Saying a prayer for your friend too.
God Bless Mr. Zimmerman, you and your friends family. Hang in there!